Valve for multicell inner tubes



l l.. E. BONHAM VALVE FOR MULTI CELL INNERTUBES May 3, 1949.

Filed Dele. 14, 194e INVENTOR. L Ou/'J' E O/vbdrn BY I Patented May 3, 1949 VALLVE FBR'MULTICELLINNERTUBES .Louis Bonham, Birmingham, ,'Alfa.

ApplicatoniDeceniber 14, 1946,:Serial No.'716,39.8

My present ,invention 'relates to an 'improvement in'zmulticell innertubes and more particu Vl'arly "tofan improvediactuating mechanism f or the valves -of 'imulticell 1inn'ertu-bes, and has '-for an object the provision 4of asimple 'yet positivly--op erable'means for `effect-ing Ithe simultaneous-'openin'g of-aplurality-'cf inflation valvesempl'oyed with 'such innertubes.

A further obje'ct'of my invention lis to provide Ja valve actuatingfmechanism ioruse in 'conjunc- `tion 'with multi-cell innertub'es #which comprises a small disk rotatably mounted-in *c1-lose proximity tothe projectinjgstems ofthe inflationvalvesan'd `in which .'ea'chinflation valve .is depressedito'open position bymeans 'o'f asmall protuberance'carrie'd 'by the`undersi'cle'of the disk.

A further object "of 'my invention is 'to provide a valve 'actuating mecha-nismoi 'the `class T.idescribed in 'which thedisk "is 'rotatable "by means of a `rod connected therewith, the outer 'end of the rod 'beingmova'bleinwardly to rotate the disk when an airvhosechuck `is-applied to inflate the tube.

.A lfurther .object is toprovide a valve vactuating mechanism for use in conjunction with multicell innertubes in which @the .-iniiation `valves control- .ling the various clls of the tube are readily accessi-ble, thus facilitating Lreplacement 4'of the fsame.

Myinvent-ion `is illustrated fin :the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective View partly broken away of a Wheel and casing containing a multicell innertube having mounted thereon my improved valve mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View through the housing of the valve actuating mechanism, and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View taken along line III-III of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention, I show in Fig. 1 a portion of a rim lli having mounted thereon an outer casing il. Within the casing is a multicell innertube indicated generally by the numeral i2. The tube comprises a plurality of compartments I3 to i7 inclusive, each of the compartments being separate from the other in a manner well understood.

My improved valve actuating mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral I8, comprises a housing I9 which is rusto-conical in shape thereby to nt Within the drop center portion of the rim l0. The housing I9 preferably is made "fio (Cl. T52-429?) 2 of van integral part of 'the usual innertubeidepresser plate 23| 'though l it may 'beformed 'separately if desired. The housing is 'made airtight by means of a threaded cover 22 whichmayfhave lformed therein '-a keri 23 for screwing and 1unscrewing `the cover Einto the Ltop y'of the `-housing- The plate 23| and housing il f carried integrally therewith, xare secured tto vthe project'ingstems q2A to 29, inclusive yof the ltube :ination 'valve 'stems by rmean-sdf at'nuts 3:-I. 'Theyalve stems each 'carry lan i-nation A4valve vof the yusual type, the ends of which project out of the Astems i211 fte 129 as indicated at '132. *These Zyall-ves cori-trol fthe entrance oi -a'ir into and out of the 'various compartmentsoi 1the l'mu'lticell tu'be Einthelmanncru/*ell 'understood Aiii-small =p'in 33 'h'as its *upper'end journaied in Ythe cover 22 and lits lower -fend j ournaled in the 'base fof the lhousing. Secured to lthe 'pin '33 "and mounte' nfclose eproximity to 'the projecting `:enils 532 fofltheiniiation valve Ais -a disk 34. The disk is provided 'on lits underside with a plurelityhiof protuberances '36 *which 1proj ect beneath the r'plate suiicentlyto engageand-depress ftheen'ds 3-2 of "the in'iia'tion lvalves when fthe -plate is @dta-ted, iit ybeing understood that the protuberances =are arranged lconcentrically wit'hresp'ect tothe center o'fplatefBll --anl disposed on "a radius to overie'the lproj ecting ends "32er theva'lves Rot-atably secured to'one side of the `'disk Slis one `end or an actuating 'rod 311, i The rod passes outwardly of the housing through a suitable air passage and guide tube 38 and carries adjacent its outer end a washer 39. The air passage 38 is shouldered as indicated at 4| and between this shoulder and the Washer 39 is interposed a spring 42.

From the foregoing the operation of my improved valve actuating mechanism will be readily understood. When an air hose chuck is applied to the outer end of the tube 38, the actuating rod 31 is pressed inwardly thereby rotating the disk 34. This rotates each oi the small protuberances 36 into position over its respective projecting end 32 of the inflation valves, thereby depressing the same and opening the valves. Air is thus supplied to all of the various compartments of the innertube through the passage 38. It will be apparent, therefore, that when the actuating rod 31 is pressed inwardly, all of the ination valves are opened equally, thus insuring equal inflation of each of the innertube compartments. When a gauge is applied to the end of passage 38, the valves are likewise opened, and an accurate pressure reading is obtained.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved and simple actuating mechanism for a plurality of valves employed with multicell innertubes. While I have shown the housing I9 as affixed to the innertube by means of the nuts 3l threaded onto the project;H ing stems 24 to 29 of the innertube inilation valve assembly, it will be apparent that the housing may be secured to the tube in other ways, as for instance, by vulcanizing the same directly to the tube. If desired, the drop center portion 20 of the rim may be provided with a hole large enough to pass the housing I9, in which case the depressor plate may be omitted and the housing secured directly to the tube.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, Without de parting from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In actuating mechanism for the valves of a multicell innertube, a housing, a rotatable disk in the housing, a plurality of protuberances on one side of the said disk adapted upon rotation of the disk to engage and open the irration valves of said innertube, and an actuating rod associated with said disk adapted upon inward movement to rotate the disk.

2. In a multicell innertube embodying a plurality of inflation valves, -a closed housing surrounding the valves, a disk rotatably mounted over the outer ends of the ination valves, a plurality of protuberances on the side of the disk adjacent the inflation valves adapted upon rotation of the disk to engage and open the valves, means operable from Without the housing to rotate the disk, and a spring urging the disk to a position with the protuberances out of engagement with their associated inflation valves.

3. In a multicell innertube embodying a plurality of inflation stems and valves, a closed housing surrounding the outer end of the stems, ya disk Within the housing rotatably mounted over the ends of the valves, a plurality of protuberances on the disk disposed to engage and open the inflation valves upon rotation of the disk, an air admission passage for the housing, a rod for rotating the disk disposed in the passage and having one end pivotally connected to the disk adjacent the periphery thereof, and a spring associated with the rod urging the disk to a position with the protuberances out of engagement with their associated inflation valves.

4. In a multicell innertube embodying a plurality of iniiation valves with the stems thereof disposed in a circle and with the ends of the valves projecting out of the stems, a closed housing surrounding the stems, a pintle in the housing positioned centrally of the valve stem circle, a disk mounted on the pintle and disposed over the ends of the valve stems, a plurality of protuberances on the disk disposed concentrically With respect to the valve stems and disposed to engage and depress the projecting ends of the inilation valves, an air passage for admitting air to the housing, a rod in the passage having one end pivotally connected to the disk adjacent the periphery thereof, and a spring associated with `the rod urging the disk to a position With the protuberances out of engagement With the valves.

5. In a multicell innertube embodying a plurality of inflation valves with the stems thereof having valve ends projecting outwardly, a, housing having an opening at its top, a cover for the housing, a pintle journaled at one end of the cover and the other is the bottom of the housing, a disk of less diameter then the housing opening mounted for rotation with the pintle, a plurality of protuberances on the disk adapted upon rotation thereof to contact and depress the projecting ends of the inflation valves, a passage for admitting air to the housing, a rod in the air passage having its inner end .pivotally connected to the periphery of the disk, and a spring urging the rod outwardly thereby to hold the protuberances out of engagement with the inflation valves.

LQUIS E. BONHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 601,211 Mears Mar. 22, 1898 1,569,844 OBrien Jan. 12, 1926 

